Royal Botanical Gardens Statuary

Overview

A key element of the original planning for the Royal Botanic Gardens was the placement of classical statuary intended to uplift and educate the local populace.

Over the years the collection of marble and bronze statues had been gradually removed, damaged or deteriorated.  ICS undertook a major project with the Gardens to document the condition, develop a restoration program and a maintenance plan which has been progressively implemented.

Year

2010

Client

Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney

Services

  • Public art
  • Sculpture conservation
  • Award winning

Awards

2010 Conservation Built Heritage for Projects under $1 million - Corporate/Government

Condition

Examples of statuary collection:

  • The ‘Robbie Burns’ sculpture, unveiled in 1905, attributed to Frederick William Pomeroy (1856-1924), cast in the UK.  The statue is located in the Domain, Sydney adjacent to Art Gallery Road (RBG location DL17).
  • The ‘Huntsman and Dogs’ is an electroform sculpture, date unknown, attributed to the French sculptor Henri Marie Alfred Jacquemart (1824-1896).  The statue is located inside the gardens, adjacent to the Rose Garden (RBG location L16).
  • ‘Mare and Foal’ (1890) is attributed to the French sculptor Arthur Jacques le Duc (1848 – 1918).The statue is located inside the gardens, in the lawns at Farm Cove (RBG location L34)
  • ‘Governor Phillip Fountain’ is a large bronze and marble construction. The bronze was cast in Florence in 1895 by sculptor and artist F. Galli and unveiled in 1897.  The fountain is located inside the gardens, to the south-east of the Palace Garden Gate (RBG location L11b).
  • The ‘Lewis Wolf Levy Fountain’ is a granite construction with a number of bronze elements sculpted by Charles Bell Birch in 1888 and cast in Ditton, England at Mr Moore’s foundry.  The stonework was cut & polished in Cornwall, England.  The completed fountain was unveiled in the gardens in 1889.  The fountain is located inside the gardens, near the Woolloomooloo Gate (RBG location Lawn 3, between 6 & 7).

Treatment

Before treatment

After treatment

Testimonial

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